Light of Destruction
by lalalei
Summary: Arkana defeats Yugi, and Marik claims the Puzzle and the Pharaoh's power as his own. The only question now is what to do with it.
His first thought is disbelief. Then delight. Marik had expected Arkana to fail like that other Rare Hunter. To hear he actually _won_ , that victory, _his_ victory, is within reach—it makes him feel giddy. Still, if _Exodia_ couldn't beat the Pharaoh, how could he expect a Dark Magician to? To confirm it Marik controls the man's mind, searching his memories for the end of the duel.

He finds it. He watches.

Marik replays it over and over, soaking in every detail—not of the duel itself, but the aftermath. The Pharaoh's face melts so quickly from pride to fear. He stops struggling to escape the chains soon enough; he lost, and must now deal with the consequences. The Pharaoh's final expression is of resignation. If Marik listens closely he can almost hear two voices crying out as the energy disk moves ever closer, slicing through clothing and skin to reach and grasp the soul. He thinks he catches an apology in there somewhere, but isn't sure.

The Pharaoh's expression dulls, eyes growing blank, and his body topples over in a heap without a mind to hold it up. (Marik rewinds that part several times.) Its purpose fulfilled, the magic leaves and the buzz saws become cold metal once more—effective for dismemberment, but not _quite_ the punishment Marik had in mind. Marik was born in darkness, raised in darkness. Now, he has condemned both Pharaoh and host to that same darkness.

It would almost be pitiable if Marik didn't know exactly why he's doing this in the first place. The thought of freedom is intoxicating. He commands the magician to retrieve the Puzzle for him immediately; do that, Marik says, and Catherine is yours. (And since he's feeling magnanimous, high on life, perhaps he'll actually hold to that promise. It would be child's play, once the Pharaoh's power is his.)

There is still work to be done once he gains the Puzzle, Marik knows. He has Slifer and Ra, but Kaiba still has Obelisk, and his sister's whereabouts are unknown even through his spy network. But with Odion by his side, the Rare Hunters and Ghouls, and the two God Cards he does possess, Marik is confident he will succeed in all his ambitions.

It all seems trivial, anyway, compared to the limitless power of the Pharaoh. With that obtaining Obelisk would be _easy_.

Within the hour, though even that's far too slow for Marik's liking, Arkana returns with Puzzle in hand. Marik takes it greedily, scarcely paying the man attention. He'll uphold that promise later, he decides. This is more important. He orders his men out; absolutely _no one_ must distract him from his prize.

Marik is seconds from placing the Puzzle around his neck when he senses something _off_ about the artifact—a shadowy presence from deep within it. He wonders how this is possible; the Pharaoh should be brain-dead, his body left to _rot_ and his soul forever separated from host and container. Then an image takes shape, and Marik understands. The Puzzle has an _intruder_ —a thief with white hair and piercing eyes.

How _dare_ this person interfere with what's rightfully his! Marik moves to dispose of him at once, leveling the Rod at his unexpected guest, but the thief has both an Item and knowledge of shadow powers that rivals his own. Ordinarily, he can tell, it would be a stalemate. He might even lose, with just the Rod.

But Marik has one thing this thief didn't count on. The Puzzle is _his_. Its _power_ is his. Now is an opportune time to test it, he thinks.

Marik concentrates, tapping into the Puzzle's energy. He states his name as proof of its new ownership, and in due time golden light emanates from the artifact, its power a blend of light and shadows. The thief is expelled, screaming, from its depths, his image dissipating into the darkness where none may exist.

With that detour out of the way Marik is able to turn his attention to more pressing matters. With his God Cards, and with the power of the Pharaoh, Kaiba will fall. Ishizu will be found and she'll join him in the light, by force if necessary. Odion is bound to him surely as the Pharaoh's little friends were to him, not that it helped them in the end. The world lies at his fingertips, ready for the taking.

Marik slips the Puzzle around his neck at last. The chain is heavy, the golden Item even more so, but to Marik it feels like freedom.

Ishizu falls first. She appears one day out of the blue to challenge him, despite knowing with her Necklace that she would lose. Marik gives her points for trying, but he is the Pharaoh, now, and she is a fool for daring to oppose him. The only blemish on his good mood is when she refuses to join him in the light, but with the Rod, that is easily fixed.

Kaiba falls second. He puts up a good fight, managing to destroy Slifer with his Obelisk. But he has no knowledge of Ra's abilities and can form no defense against it. Marik shudders to think of what would have happened if he _could_ , but in the end it doesn't matter.

The world falls third. All three Egyptian God Cards are his. Ultimate power is his. Marik is unstoppable. His hatred is sated, his revenge complete and total, his ambitions as lofty and bright as the sun.

The question of what to do _now_ is swiftly answered. Marik wishes, above all else, to live free of darkness, to bask forever in the light of day. But this world is _full_ of darkness.

Surely he can do something about that.

Marik calls upon the Rod, Puzzle, and Necklace for an answer. The solution is so simple it makes him laugh. Of course, this would be it. This would be everything.

Marik raises the three Egyptian Gods to the sky, Puzzle gleaming brightly against his form. He invokes his name.

Soon.

Soon there will be no more darkness.

Soon there will be nothing to have _room_ for darkness.

Slifer appears first, its coiled body large enough to block out the sun. Obelisk appears second, towering high as a mountain, or so Marik imagines, at least. Ra, the god of the sun, is last. It flaps its wings, fire raining from every feather, and Marik is in awe. Even the sun itself will be as nothing compared to what he is about to unleash.

The three Gods combine, and Marik is blinded—happily so—by the light. When he can see again his breath leaves him. Horakhty, the creator of all light, looms over him.

With the power of the Pharaoh, Marik dares to command her, though his thoughts are scattered from hope and uncertainty—not of what he demands, for he knows she can accomplish the task. What matters is how to phrase it; he must make no mistakes.

Eventually, unable to choose, Marik decides to use them all.

Burn us all away, so we may know no darkness.

Cover this world in unending light.

 _Bring down the sun._

With a heavy heart, and a strangely sad smile, Horakhty obeys the Pharaoh's command.

His last thought is how bright the world is.


End file.
